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Lawsuit Settled, Another Filed, Over Player Deaths in Football Workouts

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The University of Missouri has agreed to pay $2 million to settle a lawsuit filed by the family of a football player who died during a 2005 preseason workout, the Associated Press reports. The settlement, in which the university and a group of officials admitted no wrongdoing, ends a legal battle over the death of Aaron O'Neal, 19, who collapsed during a voluntary workout in July 2005. The lawsuit alleged that university employees did not take precautions required by O'Neal's sickle cell trait. Meanwhile, the family of a 19-year-old player who died in offseason conditional drills at the University of Central Florida last year is suing the institution, the AP reported, saying that coaches and trainers ignored signs of Ereck Plancher's fatigue. University officials have repeatedly defended their response.